Jean C. Mutiganda - Åbo Akademi University –Finland

1. SIG IRSPM 2018 - Edinburgh A&A SIG Sub-Group: Accounting and accountability in the digital age – enhancing transparency, tackling corruption (October 2017) Jean C. Mutiganda - ÅboAkademi University –Finland Martin Jones - Nottingham Trent University – United Kingdom Sanja Korac - Alpen-Adria-Universitaet Klagenfurt – Austria Iris Saliterer - University of Freiburg – Germany Muriel Baerstschi - ZHAW School of Management and Law – Switzerland Isabel Brusca - University of Zaragoza – Spain

2. Genesis – Ideasarisingfromthe Freiburg SIG How can transparency and accountability reduce corruption? What are the advantages of accountability for governments? Some empirical analysis, e.g. ‘The use of big data for accountability of governments: experiences in Europe’ Enhancing transparency of financial disclosures by reducing complexity of reported narrative financial disclosures Identify determinants of transparency online and in general (and assess transperency Bridge the gap on transparency and corruption prevention in emergency recovery and recostruction afterwards Develop open financial reporting index similar to open budget index improve and develop popular reporting What factors/institutions need to be addressed when we think about tackling corruption through PFM reforms? - What are the underlying roots of corruption within PFM systems (in developing countries)? • Is there room for ‘open financial reporting’ (similar to ‘open budget’) across countries? • Can a financial reporting transparency index be developed internationally, similar to the open budget index (e.g. based on WGA)? • Which would be the factors affecting this financial reporting index in each country? • How can financial reporting support the development of popular reporting? (popular reporting if better understood by citizens because less technical, might improve politicians' accountability, increase citizen engagement and ultimately promote democracy, especially if considered at local level) • What would be the contents and periodicity of a popular reporting? How can non-financial reporting be enhanced? What are the implications of new channels or new ways of communication? How does datafication and digitalization change the role of accountants in the public sector? How can it strengthen citizen voice? How does it affect the various accountability relationships in government entities? What are the challenges and opportunities of digitalization (full transparency vs. a new digital divide, enhanced performance measurement vs. new ways of gaming? What are important key performance indicators for communities, cities or close public sector organisations. what are effective indicators or what are process indicators, which can be used on the long-term to create public improvements and public value?

3. Reporting Digitalization & Datafication • Howcan (non-)financialreportingbeenhanced? • open financialreportingindex • reducingcomplexityofreported narratives Citizenvoice Role of Accountants • Challenges and opportunities of digitalization • digital literacy and digital divide • new channels/ways of communication • new potential in measuring performance and gaming • Transparency • Accountability • Corruption • Advantages ofaccountabilityforgovernments • Big dataforaccountability • Changingrelationshipsofaccountabilitywithingovernments • Howcancorruptionbetackled? • understandingfactorsandinstitutions, rootsofcorruptionwithin PFM systems, andtheroleoftransparencyandaccountability

4. GenesisImportance of Topic & Timing • Citizensincreasinglyawareofpoliticalscandalsandcorruption, increasingdemandforaccountabilityfrompoliticians • Increasereadability, reducecomplexity (offinancialreports) • Harmonizationofaccountingsystems (international, EU) • Why do PFM reformsfail, andhowcanissuesbeaddressed • ICT and Big Data provideopportunitytoenhancetransparencyandpreventcorruption • Academianeedsto find toolstotacklecorruption, clarifyhowaccountingdatacanimprovedecision-makingandgovernmentalreputation • Fiscalcrunchin universities • Public sector organizations need to be governed and steered, especially in a time of budgetary pressure and changing environment • Datafication/digitalizationdevelopsexponentially, and will changeworkandroleofactors in publicsector, newbreadthanddepthofdemandforinformation; so farlowawareness in ourdiscipline

5. GenesisStakeholders

6. GenesisPotential Contribution Academia Practice Prioritizationofissuesandchallengestopublicsectoraccountingarisingfromdigitalization Show how PFM reformscanincreasetransparency (andtacklecorruption) Betterunderstandingofstateoftheart, betterassessmentandevaluationofphenomena, identificationofdeterminantsandsolutions/suggestions Potentials andpitfallsforactors in government, waysofempoweringcitizens Identifycomplexities in financialreportingandidentifywaysofusing narratives toreducethem New criticalthinking/insightsthat will help in addressingsocietalissues Practicalbenefitsofaccountabilityandhowusing modern technologiescanimprovepublicvalue Open financialreportingindex, Key indicatorsforsteering

7. Genesis - Expertise

8. Genesis - Research Roadmap Stages: • Stage 1 – Broad literaturereviewleadingtopublication • but where? • Stage 2 – Identification of researchthemes • Multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, disciplinebased? • Stage 3 – Development of researchstrategytoaddressthemes • Conceptualframeworks? • Methodology(s)? Currently at Stage 1…… Longerterm: Collaborationwith Information systemscolleagues (and others?)

9. Reasons for the Study (1) • Increasing amount of digital data collected and used within, or available to, organisations • Growing field within Information Systems and Management disciplines • Emerging field within Accounting, Accountability and Public Management • Little or no focus to date on public finance and accounting

10. Reasons for the Study (2) • In the public sector the growth of and use of digital data may impact in a number of areas: • Capturing financial and non financial data • Analysing such data • Decision making and resource allocation • Reporting and presenting (non) financial information • Measuring and managing performance • Impact on accountability and transparency (+ or -?) • Potential for engagement and collaboration • Uncovering corruption/introducing new forms of corruption • Impact on role of public sector finance practitioners

11. Aims of the Study The study provides a (initial) review of academic work as well as an overview of contemporary discussions in the field of accounting to develop an initial conceptual framework that may guide further scholarly activity. In particular: • How has big data created possibilities for gathering and analysing information that can enhance collaboration and engagement? • What challenges and opportunities of big data and affiliated concepts have been presented in prior academic contributions? • How can the increasing use of digital data by public sector organisations create possibilities for new ways of gathering and reporting (non-) financial performance information that enhance citizen collaboration and engagement?

12. Aims of the Study

13. Approach so far…. • Initial literature analysis using Web of Science • Identifying key definitions • Presentation of key themes • Gap analysis for the public services • Identification of potential research streams

14. Methods • Literature review based on articles on “big data” within the Web of Science database – (in itself big data?) • Identification of different themes emerging from scholastic work • Search themes: Big Data, Digital Data, Digitalization, Datafication • Search sub-themes: performance management, transparency, corruption, accountability, collaboration, engagement, public • Not limited by discipline; no publication date filters applied for big data • Most work published post 2010, especially last 2 years • Digital data goes back further so filter applied post 2010

15. Key definitions

16. Findings – Digital Data, Digitalization and Datafication

17. Findings – Big Data (1)

18. Findings – Big Data (2) • Few papers from accounting or public management fields (computer science, healthcare, chemistry, biology, marketing economics..) ……. • … surprising as some known papers on implications for accounting and finance practice and research (see Cockcroft and Russell (2018)) • Many papers use big data as an analysis tool, rather than investigating the role of big data within organisations • Accountability – tends to be from an ethical perspective – IS and healthcare fields • Collaboration – an emerging field but lack of clarity as to how big data improves collaboration/engagement….. • ….. Collaboration as sharing data across organisations? • Transparency – as accountability, also greater research needed for bribery, corruption, money laundering and the financing of terrorism • Performance management – at a sector level but does not discuss the role and use of big data

19. Findings – Big Data (3) • Huge potential for use of big data by public bodies • Little research on this so far, especially in field of accounting • Other issues to consider: • Ethical issues for public bodies – re-identification through triangulation of data-points – good or bad? • Mis-information and withholding of information by individuals invalidates data and therefore analysis • “black box” decision making or “enhancing citizen participation” in decision making? • Legality of using/sharing digital information – data protection, Facebook/Cambridge Analytica?

20. Perks and Perils of Big Data

21. Observations • Big Data, Digitization and Datafication are linked but discrete topics which could be studied separately or collectively • Very little public sector work in these areas, and non in public accounting and accountability • Initial themes remain valid at this stage and have potential going forward • Other themes may emerge…….

22. Limitations and Next Steps Limitations: • Broad search at this stage – to identify potential themes; lacks depth within themes • Only one data source – no accounting/public management? Volume/variety/velocity of Web of Science? • A recent and emerging field – recent work may not yet be available? • Title, abstracts and key words – not yet focussed on types of study, theorising, empirics etc Next steps: • Extensive and purposeful literature search based on full text • Categorisation of potential fields of study for public sector accounting and accountability • Identification of future projects

23. References • Cockcroft S, and Russell M (2018), Big data Opportunities for Accounting and Finance Practice and Research, Australian Accounting Review (online)

24. Big Data and Accounting = 14 • Journal of information systems x2 • Accounting Horizons x3 • AAAJ – also accountability